There are nods and general signs of agreement from the assembled ponies, though none of them, Luna included, look overly eager to see what is going on in Canterlot.

There is a short period of packing in which Zecora gives a few small bags to Twilight. She explains that they are ointments and curatives to help in case of trouble.

The trip back throw the forest is tense, not due to any danger, as you are at even less risk now then you where before, but because no pony seems to want to be the one to brake the silence that falls over the group.

Finally you leave the cover of the trees and step into the bright sun of the unnaturally long noon.

Twilight swallows and asks, "Should we go though town to the train and see if its still running?"

Luna looks slightly ill as she answers, "That way would be faster, but there is a risk that Celstia's guards may not be pleased see me, Zack Marcus our our companions." She gestures at the regulars. "There might also be some panic from the townsponies as well with how long the day has lasted."

"Luna's right, we might get into a fight if we go though Ponyville our best bet is to go along to roads to Lower Canterlot and use the Ivory staircase to get into the city, one inside if we get there before the report getting in the castle should be cake."

The road to Canterlot is not a short one when on hoof and the endless day begins to ware on everyponies nerves. Not helping matters is that the closer you get to Canterlot the better you are able to see that the city looks hazy and unreal, the effect, Luna explains, of Celestia's protective spells. Luna seems to think that she can breach them fairly easily, but the fact that they are up at all dose not make the situation look any less grim. Worse still, the lake of a purple doom guarding the city clearly troubles Twilight who is clearly worried for her brother.

By the time you reach the lower city the whole group is tired and stressed, a feeling that seems to describe the rest of the population quite well.

By the time you reach the grate tunnel entrance of Ivort Staircase you see that the passage, normally crowded with ponies going to or from Canterlot proper is packed with a crowed of frightened citizens. Rainbow Dash flies over the crowed long enough confirm that crowed is waiting on a guard checkpoint. It seems that with the recent panics, more and more ponies have looked for protection within the main city itself, but with tighter restrictions and various security cheeks, the process now takes long enough create quite a build up. Further more, all the proper entrances to the city have been locked down by multiple cheek points. None slandered means of approach (like the flying in) are guarded by the shields.

Luna points out, "I could brake the spells to get us in though a high approach, but as only four of our twelve ponies have wings, that would lead to other problems."

The others looks around at one another, clearly unhappy about the idea of waiting on such an impotent mission, but not seeing a good way of dealing with it. Finally Twilight says, "If you think its best then lead the way."

Zack nods once, soon coming to a rather plain looking cardboard brown two story house "welcome to my home"

"darling, honestly I was expecting something more for a Royal guard's home"

"I like to live to like humbly" he said walking to the door, opening it to reveal a changeling leaping at the group only to have a painting swing out and smack the changeling's muzzle knocking it unconscious. the group look to see Zack tilling a candlestick "what, my home is my trainer" he said turning a lamp upside down "there, all traps disarmed, make your self at home" he said with a bright smile and a bow

The group makes there way inside and proceed to settle in with mixed success. Dash and Pinkie seem more then happy to make them self's comfortable while Fluttershy and Rarity seem to come to some silent understanding and begin to clean to straiten things around the hose, joined quickly by Twilight who had seemed increasingly agitated the closer you got to the city. You suspect she the cleaning is just a way for her to not have to worry about what is to come next.

Applejack and the regulars make a B line for the kitchen to begin preparing a meal after there long trip. Luna just paces.

"What are we waiting for and what will we do once it has occurred?" she asks, in low enough voice to keep the others from hearing. "Every hour we delay could be an hour closer to sealing our defeat!"

"I don't know either Princess, if theres one thing I've learned from my time in this kind of thing its you never know whats gonna happen" he pauses sitting down in front of Luna "we're all scared for her Luna"

Luna turns away, clearly upset, but not wanting to show it. She quickly moves to a window and peers out at the street bellow. "They will not panic." She says quietly. "Not until its to late. My sister has ruled for so long alone and the changelings lies have scared them all so badly that any methods she uses will be seen as justified till her own self doubts and anger turn her fully into a monster. By then retreating the elements will be complicated by her own presence."

Luna looks back at you with a look of naked terror. "At my strongest I doubt I could have faced the monster I was back in thous days and even then I was only barely able to defeat my sister. Without the elements she has been weakened, but if she scums fully, then in my weakened state I would stand no chance staging her! I will give my life to save this land, but I doubt I would even slow her!"

She walks over to you and leans into your ear so that nopony else could possibly here you. "And if I fear the changeling queen nearly as much. She is not feeding on love and that has weakened her as well, but whatever her new food source, it is abundant and her horde as gorged on it. Worse still, I believe that there is yet a grater evil behind all of this."

"I suspect that as well," Zack looks to the clock to see it is getting late "ok, we're going to need to get 'some' rest, we'll slip into the city at the shift change but that isn't for six hours so get some rest I've got a feeling we're gonna need it"

Sleep dose not come easily to many of the ponies gathered in your house, but by the time the shift change comes everypony is fairly well rested.

The gaurd shift sees the doubling on the guards on station as the relief guards take there place from the standing guards. Interestingly you can see a small group heavily armored earth pony regulars passing though the cheek point with the reliving royals. You do not recognize most of them, but you do recognize there leader, General Songbird!

"Songbird" Zack grumbles under his breath "let's go" he said jumping into an alley, once everyone was with him Zack started to look nervous "your late, where are you, don't tell me you got caught"

"nopony but you has ever caught me" a teenage shade filly walks out of shadows

"Nightblade! I was beginning to get worried" Zack said hugging the filly "where is Thrill?"

"on lockdown, I'm not gonna let him walk around in this madness, ponies got crazy recently." she said with a roll of her eyes "got your message, and I've secured a path through the crystal caves. We'll come out right in the castle courtyard" the teen said with sense of of pride

The others exchange nervous looks, clearly not fully convinced that entrusting there plan to a teenager was the right thing to do, but with no other options open, they soon are following the teen.

*Feel free to flesh out this version of Nightblade. Feel free to go as far as the caverns, but I have a plan for thous so only go so far into them. Kudos for remembering that thous, that was quite clever and just moved you into position to see something that you would have been unaware about till a bit latter if you had gone in any other way. *

During the walk into the caves the tension had become too much for a certain rainbow maned pegasus, she hovered close to Nightblade and asked "soooo, how do you know Zack?"

the teen gave a chuckle "I was wondering how long you'd all wait to ask me a question, and I first met Zack here when he caught Thrill and me stealing some food from his home"

"what!?, you brought a thief along to the castle?" twilight said glaring at Zack

Zack raised his left eye brow but Night was soon hovering in Twilight's face "hey! I'm no thief, I just did what I had to, to survive" she landed and slumped "it isn't easy for two foals living on their own on the roads"

"oh my stars darling, where were your parents" Rarity asked now sitting next to the filly rubbing her back

"ha, my mom and dad couldn't have cared less about me if they tried, so I ran away"

"what about your brother"

Night looked like Rarity shocked her "brother, what are you talking about? you mean Thrill?" Night started laughing out loud "Thrill isn't my brother" her mirth slowly faded "I met him, half-dead in a clearing in the Dreadwood"

Suddenly one of the regulars holds up a hoof, making shushing sound at the same moment that Luna holds up, looking troubled.

"I hear voices." The regular whispers.

"I sense something ahead." Luna murmurs.

The two look at one another in confusion then grin sheepishly.

Slowly the group moves ahead till you can see a large, crude room cut into the tunnel. Inside it you can see attest 40 ponies of various races, some wearing the armor of the regulars, some wearing shadow bolt uniforms and at lest one unicorn where silver royal gaurd armor. They seem to be waiting for something or somepony.